Principal Investigator: Brian Timko, PhD (CV)
Associate Professor Brian Timko graduated from Lehigh University with B.S. degrees in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and from Harvard University with a Ph.D. in Chemistry. He completed his graduate studies in the laboratory of Professor Charles Lieber, where he studied semiconductor nanowires and how they could be stably interfaced with living cells and tissue. He then completed postdoctoral studies with Professor Robert Langer at MIT and Professor Daniel Kohane at Boston Children’s Hospital. During that time, he studied nanocomposite materials for cardiac tissue engineering and remotely triggered drug delivery. Subsequently, he was Instructor in Anaesthesiology at Boston Children’s Hospital; and in 2016, he joined Tufts University as Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7958-8980
Faculty
 Corey Fucetola, PhD, Assistant Research Professor
Corey received degrees in Mathematics (S.B.) and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (S.B., M.E., Ph.D.) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he continued with joint postdoctoral (Associate, Fellow, Research Scientist) activities in Aero/Astro and the Research Laboratory of Electronics by building cubic-centimeter propulsion system flight hardware for cubesats and studying methods to thin and assemble semiconductor materials under 0.001″ thick, respectively. Afterward he led major renovations of MIT’s Thin-film Deposition Laboratory in the Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) while managing the MRL X-ray Diffraction Laboratory before joining Tufts Biomedical Engineering department in 2021 to pursue research in 3D Heterogeneous Integration of devices that combine silicon with biological materials.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8657-8537
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PhD Students
 Rofiat Kajola
Rofiat has an Associate degree in Science Laboratory Technology, a BSc in Biochemistry from Nigeria, and an MSc in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Rochester. She has interned at the Aviation Medical Clinic and Tuyil Pharmaceutical Industry in Nigeria. Her research has focused on evaluating pressure-driven blood cell separation using slit filters. Rofiat has proposed a technology for the separation of leukocytes from red blood cells and platelets, which is designed to enable rapid and cost-effective separation of blood cells.
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MS Students
 Kfir Flank
I am a recent graduate from Boston University where I double majored in Biomedical Engineering and Computer Engineering. During my undergraduate studies I was involved in computational Alzheimer’s Disease research where I used MRI images to create new models. After graduation I worked as a data analyst and worked in a school as a tutor for 5th grade science. In my free time I enjoy competing in triathlons, rock climbing, snowboarding, and being in the outdoors.
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 Jeff Neale
My name is Jeffrey Neale, I received my bachelor degree in biochemistry from the University of New Hampshire. At UNH I worked studying the evolution and function of the neuroendocrine system of sea lamprey. After graduation I worked at Excelimune developing recombinant human polyclonal antibodies against infections disease. Currently I’m employed at Cell Signaling Technologies, working in Antibody Manufacturing. Outside of the lab, I enjoy triathlons, coaching a competitive junior Olympic gymnastics team, surfing, and sailing.
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 Yumeng Chen
Yumeng Chen is a master’s student who graduated from Capital Medical University and Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. She has interned at Beijing Hospital and Sanofi, devoting herself to researching the integration of hardware devices and software. She has designed an Arduino-based ECG acquisition system, utilized convolutional neural networks for image classification, and investigated the quality testing standards of ECMO systems. She has proposed daily quality control testing solutions involving analyzing technical standards, designing signal acquisition systems, developing filtering algorithms, and utilizing image processing techniques to provide technical support for quality control testing specifications.
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Undergraduate Students
 Julian Han, BME ’26
Julian Han is an undergraduate student on the pre-medicine track at Tufts University pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering. His current research interests mainly involve fabricating microscopic electrode arrays and their potential for organ-on-a-chip microfluidics devices. Outside of classes and the Timko Lab, Julian works as a medical scribe at Sheth-Horsley Eye Center, volunteers with the Tufts Cancer Outreach Club, and keeps bees in his backyard. In his free time, Julian plays cello and enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, rock climbing, and skiing.
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 Areli Aguilar Garcia, BME ’27
Areli Aguilar Garcia is an undergraduate student pursuing Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University. Her current research interests include developing bioelectronics for cardiovascular tissue engineering. At Tufts, Areli is a mentor for the FIRST Center Peer Leader program and is also heavily involved with Tufts’ Society of Latinx Engineers & Scientists (SOLES). Outside of academics, Areli loves hiking, reading, journaling, and listening to music!
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 Nadia La, BME ’25
Nadia La is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University. Her current research project involves optimizing the growth of nanowires at lower temperatures for plastic films. Outside of the lab, Nadia is working on growing her plant collection.
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 Amanda Lee, BME ’26
Amanda Lee is a second-year undergraduate student studying Biomedical Engineering with a Minor in English. She is passionate in studying women’s reproductive health and diseases, as well as promoting diversity in STEM. Outside of academics, she spends her time reading classics, crocheting, and playing the flute in the Tufts University Pep Band
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